Online technologies have facilitated the development of Virtual Communities of Practice (virtual CoPs) to support health professionals collaborate online to share knowledge, improve performance and support the spread ...Online technologies have facilitated the development of Virtual Communities of Practice (virtual CoPs) to support health professionals collaborate online to share knowledge, improve performance and support the spread of innovation and best practices. Research, however,shows that many virtual CoPs do not achieve their expected potential because online interaction among healthcare professionals is generally low. Focusing on health visitors, who are UK qualified midwives or nurses who have undertaken additional qualifications as specialist public health workers in the community, the paper examines the factors that influence online interaction among health visitors collaborating to share knowledge and experience in a virtual CoP. The paper makes suggestions for how to improve online interaction among health professionals in virtual CoPs by increasing the size of membership in order to take advantage of both posting and viewing contributions, facilitating moderation to improve networking among geographically dispersed members groups and im-proving the topic relevance in order to stimulate contributions.展开更多
Among the research of language teachers' professional development in the course of reform,most studies take a psychological or cognitive approach and largely neglect the social element in a teacher's professio...Among the research of language teachers' professional development in the course of reform,most studies take a psychological or cognitive approach and largely neglect the social element in a teacher's professional growth.This paper,therefore,is intended to build up a theoretical and analytical framework for a large-scale on-going study that looks at college English teachers' professional development from a sociological and anthropological perspective.The notion of learning community constitutes the core of the theoretical framework that orients the author's understanding of the tensions and conflictions in teachers' socialization into the teacher community within the context of radical change.In particular,the literature on three dimensions of the learning process is critically reviewed,i.e.personal dimension,interpersonal dimension and organizational dimension.展开更多
In view of the problem of lacking peer coaching among college teachers,taking teachers in local universities in Hangzhou as the research subject,the paper analyzes the relationship between peer coaching and teachers’...In view of the problem of lacking peer coaching among college teachers,taking teachers in local universities in Hangzhou as the research subject,the paper analyzes the relationship between peer coaching and teachers’professional development.The paper then proposes to establish teaching practice communities in higher education,which is of great significance to improve the teaching quality and promote the professional development of university teachers.Strategies for constructing teaching practice communities are also discussed.展开更多
Based on an ethnographic study on two cohorts of teachers and parents in China,this article reveals that social networking sites(SNS)have widened the channel for parents and teachers to establish and maintain a relati...Based on an ethnographic study on two cohorts of teachers and parents in China,this article reveals that social networking sites(SNS)have widened the channel for parents and teachers to establish and maintain a relationship,and has formed an online“community of practice”to promote such collaborations.Yet,this could be accomplished only at the expense of teachers’professional and personal boundaries becoming increasingly blurred,which has emerged as a potential risk for their professionalism.Moreover,such a“community of practice”has also opened up a new space for winning or losing at the educational game for parents from different background,which has inadvertently led to widening the arena for the operation of old mechanisms of social inequality.This study suggests that further investigation should be conducted to examine the potential of SNS in the parent−teacher relationship.展开更多
The professional development of College English （CE） teachers in China has received considerable attention due to their responsibility in preparing university graduates for adequate English proficiency. Many continu...The professional development of College English （CE） teachers in China has received considerable attention due to their responsibility in preparing university graduates for adequate English proficiency. Many continuous professional development （CPD） activities have been conducted （e.g., national teaching contest） to improve CE teachers＇ teaching effectiveness, an essential component of teacher learning. However, it has remained unknown concerning how teacher learning takes place in these well-intended CPD activities, and what mediating factors play an important role in teacher learning. To address this gap, this case study reports on a CE teacher＇s （]anna, pseudonym） experience in preparing for and participating in an English teaching contest. Drawing upon multiple sets of data such as teacher reflective journals, interviews, observations of group discussions, and video-recorded teaching demonstration and lesson plan presentation, the findings reveal that teacher learning takes place at a superficial level through legitimate peripheral participation, yet at a deeper level through identity crisis. Vulnerable teacher learning is also identified in the CPD activity, with differentiated learning possibilities created by the tensions between resources and power relations within the community and the teacher＇s conceptions of teaching and learning. The study concludes with implications for research of teacher learning and practice for teacher professional development.展开更多
文摘Online technologies have facilitated the development of Virtual Communities of Practice (virtual CoPs) to support health professionals collaborate online to share knowledge, improve performance and support the spread of innovation and best practices. Research, however,shows that many virtual CoPs do not achieve their expected potential because online interaction among healthcare professionals is generally low. Focusing on health visitors, who are UK qualified midwives or nurses who have undertaken additional qualifications as specialist public health workers in the community, the paper examines the factors that influence online interaction among health visitors collaborating to share knowledge and experience in a virtual CoP. The paper makes suggestions for how to improve online interaction among health professionals in virtual CoPs by increasing the size of membership in order to take advantage of both posting and viewing contributions, facilitating moderation to improve networking among geographically dispersed members groups and im-proving the topic relevance in order to stimulate contributions.
文摘Among the research of language teachers' professional development in the course of reform,most studies take a psychological or cognitive approach and largely neglect the social element in a teacher's professional growth.This paper,therefore,is intended to build up a theoretical and analytical framework for a large-scale on-going study that looks at college English teachers' professional development from a sociological and anthropological perspective.The notion of learning community constitutes the core of the theoretical framework that orients the author's understanding of the tensions and conflictions in teachers' socialization into the teacher community within the context of radical change.In particular,the literature on three dimensions of the learning process is critically reviewed,i.e.personal dimension,interpersonal dimension and organizational dimension.
基金This paper is part of the research results of the 2022 Curriculum Ideological and Political Teaching Research Project of Hangzhou College of Commerce(Project No.:2122252).
文摘In view of the problem of lacking peer coaching among college teachers,taking teachers in local universities in Hangzhou as the research subject,the paper analyzes the relationship between peer coaching and teachers’professional development.The paper then proposes to establish teaching practice communities in higher education,which is of great significance to improve the teaching quality and promote the professional development of university teachers.Strategies for constructing teaching practice communities are also discussed.
文摘Based on an ethnographic study on two cohorts of teachers and parents in China,this article reveals that social networking sites(SNS)have widened the channel for parents and teachers to establish and maintain a relationship,and has formed an online“community of practice”to promote such collaborations.Yet,this could be accomplished only at the expense of teachers’professional and personal boundaries becoming increasingly blurred,which has emerged as a potential risk for their professionalism.Moreover,such a“community of practice”has also opened up a new space for winning or losing at the educational game for parents from different background,which has inadvertently led to widening the arena for the operation of old mechanisms of social inequality.This study suggests that further investigation should be conducted to examine the potential of SNS in the parent−teacher relationship.
基金supported by National Social Science Fund of China[Grant No.12CYY026]~~
文摘The professional development of College English （CE） teachers in China has received considerable attention due to their responsibility in preparing university graduates for adequate English proficiency. Many continuous professional development （CPD） activities have been conducted （e.g., national teaching contest） to improve CE teachers＇ teaching effectiveness, an essential component of teacher learning. However, it has remained unknown concerning how teacher learning takes place in these well-intended CPD activities, and what mediating factors play an important role in teacher learning. To address this gap, this case study reports on a CE teacher＇s （]anna, pseudonym） experience in preparing for and participating in an English teaching contest. Drawing upon multiple sets of data such as teacher reflective journals, interviews, observations of group discussions, and video-recorded teaching demonstration and lesson plan presentation, the findings reveal that teacher learning takes place at a superficial level through legitimate peripheral participation, yet at a deeper level through identity crisis. Vulnerable teacher learning is also identified in the CPD activity, with differentiated learning possibilities created by the tensions between resources and power relations within the community and the teacher＇s conceptions of teaching and learning. The study concludes with implications for research of teacher learning and practice for teacher professional development.
